Jeremy Clarkson’s 10 worst gaffes

So many gaffes: Jeremy Clarkson has repeatedly found himself in hot water (Photo: Metro)

Jeremy Clarkson may have been suspended from Top Gear over an altercation with a BBC producer, but the controversial television star and journalist has provoked fury many times in his career – even prompting politicians such as Ed Miliband to call his comments ‘disgusting’.

Here, in no particular order, are his ten most outrageous utterances…

Jeremy used the derogatory term ‘slope’ as an Asian man crossed a bridge on the River Kwai during a ‘Burma’ special (Photo:BBC)

1. Thai ‘Slope’ remark

Jeremy provoked controversy last spring, when he used the racist word ‘slope’ just as an Asian man is seen walking onto a bridge.

Talking to Richard Hammond about the bridge they have just finished building over the River Kwai in Thailand, he said: ‘That is a proud moment – but there’s a slope on it,’ just as the man walks into the shot. The use of the word sparked complaints and the threat of legal action from Equal Justice.

Chanting a racist nursery rhyme (Photo:BBC)

2. Racist rhyme

In unseen footage from series 19 of the show, Clarkson was seen trying to choose between two cars while singing a racist children’s nursery rhyme which goes: ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…’.

The £1million a year telly presenter then mumbled: ‘Catch a n***** by his toe.’

During the edited version which was shown by the BBC in February 2013, he still repeated the counting rhyme but used the word ‘teacher’ instead of the offensive word.

Forced to flee Argentina over this number plate (Photo:Sebastian Guzman)

Last October, the presenter and his Top Gear co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond were forced to leave Argentina after locals were outraged by a number plate on a Porsche they were driving.

The number plate was H982 FKL which locals claimed was a reference to the Falklands War. Clarkson said at the time if his employer – The BBC – had thought he had requested the plate on purpose then he would have lost his job, and said the crew changed the plate as soon as the controversy was pointed out to them.

Jeremy was criticised for using the derogatory term ‘Special Needs’ – (Photo:The Image Gate/Getty Images)

4. Special needs

In August 2010 the presenter faced a backlash from the National Autistic Society after he made a rude remark about people with ‘special needs’.

Judging two Ferraris on the show, Clarkson described the older car as a ‘simpleton’ and said it should be renamed the ‘430 Speciale needs’ instead of the 430 Special.

Jeremy named his dog after a footballer (Photo:JeremyClarkson/Twitter)

5. Didier Dogba dog name upset

Last April Clarkson was accused of ‘casual racism’ when he named his new black pet dog ‘Didier Dogba’ after the former Chelsea footballer.

A Twitter follower wrote: ‘@jeremyclarkson its racist man! Casual racism! You should be ashamed of yourself.’

6. The One Show scandal

Clarkson generated more than 31,000 complaints following an appearance on BBC’s One Show in December 2011, when he told presenters Matt Baker and Alex Jones that he thought all the public sector workers who had just taken part in a 24-hour strike should be ‘all shot… I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families.’

Jeremy and his Top Gear co-presenter James May parked in a disabled bay (Photo:BBC)

7. Disabled parking row

In August 2011, Clarkson and James May were given a ticking off after they were filmed parking their electric cars in a disabled parking bay.

Former Gordon Brown was insulted by Jeremy about his appearance (Photo:REUTERS/Toby Melville)

8. ‘One-eyed idiot’ scandal

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown found himself on the receiving end of a barbed Clarkson attack in 2009. Comparing the former PM to Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, Clarkson said: ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a world leader [Rudd] admit we really are in deep shit…We have this one-eyed Scottish idiot who keeps telling us everything’s fine and he’s saved the world and we know he’s lying, but he’s smooth at telling us.’

Clarkson had to apologise to the Mexican ambassador for insulting his country (Photo: PA)

9. Mexico attack

In February 2011, the BBC had to apologise to the Mexican ambassador after all three of the Top Gear presenters made offensive remarks about Mexico including likening the national food to ‘sick with cheese on it’ and describing Mexican people as ‘lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight’.

Lorry drivers were likened to murderers during a Top Gear show in November 2008. As he was driving a lorry, Clarkson said: ‘What matters to lorry drivers? Murdering prostitutes? Fuel economy?’

‘This is a hard job and I’m not just saying this to win favour with lorry drivers: change gear; change gear; change gear; check your mirrors; murder a prostitute.’ Despite numerous complaints, Clarkson just made a joke apology the following week.